Technical Efficiency of Apple Growers and its determinants-A Study of Jammu and Kashmir UT

Many efforts have been made by apple growers to enhance their performance. Since different apple growers have different efficiency level. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) is the best fitted model to access the technical efficiency and Tobit regression model in order to discuss the determinants of inefficiency. Therefore, cross sectional data collected in 2018 to evaluate technical efficiency of 120 apple growers from Jammu and Kashmir. The aim is to evaluate and compare technical efficiency and their determinants in Jammu and Kashmir. Results reveals that only education is not enough to increase technical efficiency, but farm experience is also important factor to increase the efficiency of the growers. Results also depicts that scale efficiency is the major source of overall inefficiency. Inefficiencies are mainly due to excessive use of inferior or low quality of inputs and lack of management. Most of the farmers are in early expansionary stage and hence lot of scope there to improve the efficiency through proper reallocation of the resource use.